The Panthers, the last team to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs, continued on their magical journey. After the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, they beat three of the top four teams overall with the Carolina Hurricanes.
• Also read: [À VOIR] Hurricanes player suffers painful body check
• Also read: General Manager of the Year: The NHL announces its finalists
For the first time since 1996, the Panthers return to the grand finals. They will pray for a happier fate than their first dance, which saw them lose to Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche in four games.
In the Eastern finals, the Panthers defeated the Hurricanes. In this fourth game they recorded a 4:3 victory. For the fourth time they won by just one goal. And for the third time Matthew Tkachuk scored the winning goal.
- Listen to Jean-François Baril’s sports broadcast live every day at 6:43 am. above QUB radio :
Tkachuk was the author of the two overtime goals in the first two games at Raleigh and showed his magic by defeating Frederik Anderson with just four seconds remaining in the third game.
“I knew there wasn’t much time left,” Tkachuk said in an on-ice interview with Sportsnet after the game. Bennett made a good screen on this game. I’m so happy. It’s an incredible feeling. But we still haven’t finished our journey. »
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal caused his team trouble when he received a penalty with 57 seconds left. He tripped defender Gustav Forsling when he was behind his keeper’s goal.
The Panthers made him pay for that questionable penalty by scoring a second goal on that power play game, both by Tkachuk.
Brind’Amour denied the game-winning goal for Bennett’s handicap against Andersen, but he did not win his case.
The Hurricanes tied the game 3-3 late in the third period thanks to a goal from Jesper Fast.
A minimal difference
A sweep always stimulates the imagination, especially in a federation final. But this series was tougher than the end result suggests.
Paul Maurice and his players dealt a serious blow to the Canes’ morale by winning their first two games in overtime at the PNC Arena in Raleigh. The marathon four-overtime win in the opening game likely boosted the Panthers’ confidence.
Bobrovsky again got off to a good start with 36 saves. The number 72 played at the front of the Hurricanes, allowing just six small goals in four games.
History repeats itself
As winners of the 2006 Stanley Cup, the Hurricanes entered the Eastern Finals for the third time since their conquest. All three times they suffered the affront of a sweep. The Penguins (2009) and the Bruins (2019) also pulled out their brooms.
Rod Brind’Amour was a privileged witness to three eliminations in four games. He wore the captain’s “C” in 2009 while he sat behind the bench as head coach in 2019 and 2023.
Slavin sounded
The Hurricanes lost their fourth straight game to the Panthers. Also on the medical level, they had to accept two defeats in this last encounter.
Jaccob Slavin left the game in the opening seconds of play after a hard-hitting check from Sam Bennett. The Panthers winger shouldered him in the chest, but Slavin’s head hit the cushion before hitting the ice. The defender tried to get up quickly, but couldn’t. He most likely suffered a concussion.
Stefan Noesen was also injured in this encounter. Brind’Amour therefore had to juggle eleven attackers and five defenders.
First period
1-FLO: Anthony Duclair (3)(Barkov, Verhaeghe)0:41
2-FLO: Matthew Tkachuk (8)(Ekblad, Forsling)AN-10:23
3-CAR: Paul Stastny (4)(Skjei, Martinook)13:03
Penalties: Burns (car) 1:27, Martinook (car) 1:27, Tkachuk (flo) 1:27, Gudas (flo) 5:11, Aho (car) 8:30, Luostarinen (flo) 10:42
second period
4-CAR: Teuvo Teravainen (1)(Skjei, Kotkaniemi)2:51
5-FLO: Ryan Lomberg (1)(White, E Staal)9:49
Penalties: Burns (Car) 15:45, Verhaeghe (Flo) 18:17
third period
6-CAR: Jesper Fast (6)(Martinook, Chatfield)16:38
7-FLO: Matthew Tkachuk (9)(Barkov, Reinhart)AN-19:55
Penalties: Gudas (flo) 4:27, Staal (car) 19:03
Shoot the net
CAROLINE 9-17-13-39FLORIDA 9-9-6-24
Guardian:
CAR: Frederik Andersen (P, 5-3), FLO: Sergei Bobrovsky (P, 11-2)
Numerical advantages:
CAR: 0 in 4, FLO: 2 in 4
Referee:
Wes McCauley, Dan ORourke
linesman:
Jonny Murray, Scott Cherrey
HELP:
20,065